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FDA Reexamines Discontinued Drug for New Pain Applications
The FDA has granted priority review to Orphengesic Forte (aspirin; caffeine, orphenadrine citrate) a combination tablet meant to serve as a non-opioid alternative for the management of pain.
Orphengesic Forte was originally approved in 1998 for the relief of mild-to-moderate pain stemming from acute musculoskeletal disorders; this drug was approved after establishing bioequivalence with Norgesic Forte, a similar product with the same ingredients.
The ingredient orphenadrine citrate is an indirect skeletal muscle relaxant thought to work through central nervous system (CNS) depression, and there is little evidence supporting its use for chronic pain, though it may be helpful in patients with pain related to muscle spasms.
Both Orphengesic Forte and Norgesic Forter were later discontinued for uncertain reasons, but Galt Pharmaceuticals has submitted a Supplemental Abbreviated New Drug Application (SANDA) for Orphengesic Forte for updated pain management indications.
The FDA’s decision to grant the drug priority review will expedite the drug’s review process, indicating that Orphengesic Forte could have the potential to significantly improve the safety or effectiveness of the treatment of pain when compared to standard applications.
Orphengesic Forte has received an application decision date of August 14, 2019. As this drug could potentially find its way into workers’ comp, stakeholders should stay aware of clinical updates surrounding this product.
Tags: FDA, opioid, non-opioid, opioid alternative, priority review, orphengesic forte, orphenadrine citrate, pain
The Growing Utilization and Costs of Anticancer Medications
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recently published a report that assessed the point-of-sale prices from 2010-2018 for orally administered anticancer drugs offered through Medicare Part D.
In 2013, only 12 anticancer drugs were covered by Medicare Part D, but by 2018 that number jumped to 54. Regarding cost, 48 out of 54 of those medications had monthly prices exceeding $10,000 per fill, and 21 had prices exceeding $15,000 per fill. Overall, the mean price per monthly fill in 2010 was $7,438, increasing to $13,992 in 2018. Since 2010, changes in per-fill price increased 40.4% overall.
While cancer is not the most common condition found in workers’ comp claims, it is prevalent enough that drug trends impacting cancer can make serious waves.
Occupational cancers can occur due to exposure to cancer-causing agents in the workplace environment, and it is estimated that 4% of all U.S. cancer cases are caused by occupational exposure. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 46,000-92,000 new U.S. cancer cases in 2012 were attributable to occupational exposure.
Furthermore, there is a strong legislative push for workers’ comp to cover more and more types of cancer for firefighters who are regularly exposed to known or suspected carcinogens on the job. If trends such as these continue to grow, comp programs will need to further familiarize themselves with cancer medications and create strategies to manage their utilization.
With pharmaceutical R&D growing more specialized, more and more oncology drugs are entering the market, dominating new drug approvals. And these drugs certainly have a market. IQVIA found that the number of patients on immune-oncology drugs doubled from 2016 to 2018, reaching 200,000. As this drug trend grows over time, it is very likely to impact workers’ comp.
Healthesystems has previously discussed how specialty drug trends, including the ongoing development of new cancer medications, are impacting workers’ comp, as well as treatment decision points for these specialty medications.
Tags: cancer, oncology, specialty drugs, specialty, specialty pharmacy, firefighter, JAMA, IQVIA
First Public Hearing for Cannabidiol (CBD) Products
The FDA recently held their very first public hearing on the regulation of cannabidiol (CBD) products, focused on obtaining scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds.
With medical marijuana legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia, there is much diversity in the regulation of marijuana products, and there has been much contention in the regulation of CBD products. While FDA-approved medications like Epidiolex have clear indications and usage guidelines, CBD products are not FDA approved.
CBD products are, in theory, supposed to lack THC, the compound responsible for the euphoric effects of marijuana, although depending on sourcing and quality, this may not in actuality be the case. Regardless, the belief that CBD products are not euphoric has led members of the public to believe these products are safer, despite a lack of clinical evidence.
Particularly relevant to workers’ comp, CBD products are often marketed to help relieve symptoms of all kinds, including muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and pain, meaning injured worker claimants could be using these products. And while initial research does indicate that CBD can offer certain clinical benefits for particular medical conditions, there has been an explosion of CBD products available on the market, and not only in smoke shops, but in health food stores and corner markets. These products are available in a myriad of formulations and marketed for a wide range of conditions.
CBD is available in oils, capsules and pills, gummies and other candies, edibles, topicals, sublingual picks, vape pens, bath bombs, pet treats, coffee, ice cream, energy drinks, beers and protein bars, vaginal suppositories, and much more. Furthermore, CBD is frequently advertised to benefit conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), opioid addiction, brain injury, cancer, epilepsy, workout fatigue, high blood sugar, arthritis pain, anxiety, pain from menstrual cramps, insomnia, psychosis, and to slow the onset of Alzheimer’s or dementia.
And CBD products aren’t just available in smoke shops or alternative health stores; earlier this year CVS Pharmacies announced that they would carry CBD creams, sprays, lotions and salves in 800 stores across eight states. Shortly after that announcement, Walgreens announced that they would sell CBD creams, sprays and patches to 1,500 stores in nine states.
The FDA's public hearing involved testimony from stakeholders across academia, agriculture, consumers, health professionals, manufacturers, patients, and more. According to the opening statement from Acting FDA Commissioner Norman Sharpless, M. D., CBD products are being illegally marketed as drugs with intended therapeutic effects despite a lack of FDA approval or clinical testing, and as dietary supplements that have not been proven to be a safe food additive.
This trend is a cause for concern, as more clinical research is necessary to fully understand the impact CBD products can have on patients, especially if consumers combine multiple formulations, such as lotions with beverages or candy, oils, etc. Furthermore, as CBD can impact how the body breaks down other medications, there are potential drug-drug interactions to consider, along with other clinical uncertainties surrounding pregnancy and other conditions.
Though the FDA does not currently have a policy of enforcement discretion with respect to any CBD products, they have sent warning letters to various companies selling unapproved CBD products inappropriately, and the FDA has formed an internal working group to address existing data gaps.
While it will be some time before any definitive action is taken, the prevalence of CBD products has the potential to impact healthcare on a large scale, as patients may be mixing CBD products with various other medications. The scope of how prevalent CBD products are within injured workers populations remains to be seen, but considering these products’ popularity, it would be dubious to assume they have little-to-no impact on claimant populations.
Tags: marijuana, FDA, CBD, cannabidiol
FDA Proposes Fixed-Quantity Blister Packaging for Certain Opioids
In an effort to reduce excess drug supplies that can lead to opportunities for opioid misuse, abuse, addiction, and overdose, the FDA has proposed the requirement that certain immediate-release opioids be made available in fixed-quantity, unit-of-use blister packaging.
Citing new authorities granted to them by the passage of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, the FDA hopes to accomplish this goal by updating the REMS (risk evaluation and mitigation strategy) program for various opioids.
The FDA has reviewed published studies that compared the amount of opioid analgesics patients received to treat acute pain and compared it to the actual number of opioids used by such patients. Data suggests that using five, 10, or 15 count blister packaging reduces the number of unused opioids available for diversion, which could reduce the harm of the opioid epidemic.
Before making any policy decisions, the FDA is first soliciting public feedback on this proposal, asking for comments on:
The FDA will be accepting public comment through July 30, 2019.
Tags: FDA, opioid, blister, blister packaging, REMS


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Thereis some good news for European Observers who are a bit tense about playing second fiddle to their US cousins when it comes to Appleis new iTunes Music Store (iMS). The Guardian, a UK newspaper based in London, is reporting that Apple is currently in the process of negotiating music licensing that will allow the iMS to sell to European customers. Currently, the iMS is limited to people ordering with US-based credit cards only, due to licensing restrictions. From The Guardian:
Computer company Apple is negotiating with record labels to launch its iTunes online music download service in Europe by the end of the year following the ventureis much-hyped US debut. Apple launched iTunes in the US two weeks ago. It has got off to a strong start with more than 1m songs downloaded in its first week.
Apple and its chief executive Steve Jobs now want to show it can solve the problems facing record companies in Europe too. The secret of Mr Jobsi success is partly to do with Appleis cachet, its reputation for good design and for championing consumers rather than corporations.
Record industry insiders said they were impressed by the early success of iTunes but cautioned that launching in Europe would not be easy. They said that, with many artists signed to different labels in different countries, rights agreements would take time to secure.
The Guardian also praises iMSis interface, and says that the success of the iMS rollout is "expected" to convince such holdouts as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to allow their music to be sold online. Currently, both groups are not to be found in Appleis selection.
There is more in the full story at The Guardianis Web site.

domain: news


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Pokemon Voice Actor Panel at New York Comic Con!
The official Pokemon website has revealed additional plans for the Pokemon related activities at New York Comic Con (Jacob Javits Center on February 23-25, 2007). A live "Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea" voice actor panel will be held on Sunday, February 25th, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Voice actors Sarah Natochenny (Ash), Bill Rogers (Brock), and Michelle Knotz (May), will be there to answer questions. A sneak peek of the film will also be shown.
Other Pokemon Activities
It was previously announced at the Pokemon Center store will be at the event, at Booth #211. And according to the official New York Comic Con's website, Sarah Natochenny, Bill Rogers, and Michelle Knotz will be there to sign autographs (times TBA).
For more information on the New York Comic Con, including ticket information and times, visit the official New York Comic Con website: www.nycomiccon.com
- Official Pokemon Center Website
*For news complete with pictures, go to the website: http://www.pokemonelite2000.com


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New Zealand-based outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Kathmandu Holdings has opened an investigation into a data breach with its online trading websites.
The incident happened between 8 January and 12 February this year.
According to the firm, an unidentified third party secured unauthorised access to its website platform and may have ‘captured’ customer personal information and payment details that were entered at check-out.
Kathmandu has stated it has taken immediate steps to block the hacker from accessing relevant customer information. It has also confirmed that its platform is secure and its wider IT environment, covering all Kathmandu physical stores, was not affected by this incident.
The retailer is currently working with external IT and cyber security consultants to fully investigate the events of the incident and pinpoint the impacted customers. It is also alerting relevant privacy and law enforcement agencies and potentially affected customers directly.
Customers, who believe they may have been affected, are asked to contact their banks or credit card providers.
Kathmandu Holdings chief executive officer Xavier Simonet said: “Whilst the independent forensic investigation is ongoing, we are notifying customers and relevant authorities as soon as practicable.
“As a company, Kathmandu takes the privacy of customer data extremely seriously and we unreservedly apologise to any customers who may have been impacted.”
Kathmandu Holdings operates 167 stores, including 118 in Australia, 48 in New Zealand and one in the UK, as well as four online stores.


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It hasn’t exactly been front-page news, but the UK government recently proposed that smart home devices, like internet-connected TVs, speakers, toys and watches, should be required to carry a security label which warns their users of how easy they are to hack.
The idea of someone hacking your smart thermostat or even a smart toaster might seem like a bit of a non-issue, and it’s easy to crack jokes about the idea of hacking someone’s kitchen equipment in order to burn their toast. But smart home devices have access to all sorts of sensitive stuff – from the payment details that automated fridge top-ups are made with, to visibility of your comings and goings through home security cameras.
Noteworthy examples of previous smart home hacks include cybercriminals who have hacked into baby monitors, and those who disabled an entire home security network and burgled the resident, all because of a weak point in the home’s smart TV security. Thanks to an overall lack of typical device security measures and the fact that most smart devices are left using default login details, using them to gain access to other parts of your home is alarmingly easy to do.
Know the risks of poorly-secured ‘smart’ devices
From spying and credit card theft to outright burglary, there are a variety of risks to leaving smart home devices unsecured.
If your Google Home assistant or Amazon Echo knows your passwords and financial information, so will anyone who gains access to that tech. Even without cameras, smart home devices like thermostats and energy meters can make it obvious when a house has been left unattended – whether that’s because you’re away on a trip, or simply have a regular time of week in which you’re out of the house.
Consider the smart tech that you and your family are using, and whether it offers access to any of the following:
- Surveillance cameras or webcams
- Speakers and microphones
- Payment and address details
- Habitual information
- Window and door locks
These are some of the most crucial things to secure, and if your devices can access any of these things, it’s important to take the same kind of security measures that you might with a smartphone or laptop.
Default login details, which can be difficult to change, are a key culprit in ‘Internet of Things’ or IoT crime. Equally, the fact that these devices rarely have any kind of antivirus, firewall or other built-in defences means they are sometimes easy pickings to a keen cybercriminal.
How to protect your home from common threats
If you’re not sure where to start with your smart home security, here are a few simple but effective tactics that it’s wise to employ.
Change default usernames and passwords
When every smart boiler and smart TV comes with the same default login as every other product of the same make and model, it’s not all that difficult for a cybercriminal to find those details and access the information on those devices. If you’re considering buying a new device that doesn’t have the option to change usernames and passwords, experts generally recommend that you think twice, and buy something else instead.
When you’re setting a new password, use something unique and complex. It can get tricky remembering a lot of different passwords, but for devices which have login screens you can use a password manager – leaving you free to just remember the passwords for home devices which don’t have that option.
Disable unnecessary features
Features like remote access to smart home devices are often enabled by default, but consider whether you need all of the available settings to be active all times. If there are features which you don’t need, but which could be misused by others – with remote access a prime example – disable them for peace of mind.
Keep software patches up to date
Though it’s primarily smartphones and computers which offer regular security updates, some smart home services will release software patches when security vulnerabilities are found. If you have the option, install these as soon as they become available.
Once a security patch has been released, an unfortunate side-effect is that keen hackers can look at the changes that have been made since the last update and use them to reverse-engineer attacks on devices that have not yet been patched. That means that if a particular known flaw has been identified and fixed in the latest update, it’s potentially even more likely to be exploited, making it crucial to patch your devices right away.
Protect your WiFi network with a router VPN
Last but not least, it’s important to secure your home’s overall connection with the internet, as well as the individual devices that are connected to it. A straightforward and increasingly common way to do this is by installing the kind of VPN app you might use on your phone or laptop, onto your router.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of virtual private networks, or VPNs, there’s one main thing to know. When you’re connected to the internet through a virtual private network, a layer of end-to-end encryption is added to the data that you send and receive.
Whether that’s the video and audio from your baby monitor or the payment details on your Google Home, encrypting your data means that if a hacker does try to intercept, they won’t be able to make heads or tails of what they’re seeing. All they’ll get are a load of seemingly nonsensical encryption keys – strings of alphanumeric code that can only be cracked by the intended recipient.
VPNs have other uses, like keeping your browsing details private and helping you to access region-locked content or shopping discounts, but in terms of home security, the main reason they’re a helping hand is that they stop third parties from being able to view your personal stuff.
The future of smart home security
With the UK government putting pressure on device creators to take responsibility for how secure they are, we can be optimistic that things like security patches and password changes will become far more simple to do. However, the proposed measures only begin with an optional labeling system.
Over time, the plan is for security warnings to become mandatory, with any devices that lack security or fail to carry the labels being banned from sale.
Rather than relying on the user to bolt-on extra security after purchase, hopefully, the proposed changes mean that device manufacturers will start building security features in from the get-go – leaving the rest of us to enjoy our app-managed homes and smart devices without a second thought.


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Working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center (HATCI) and Mojo Mobility (Mojo) has developed a fast-charging wireless power transfer system that has been tested on a fleet of Kia Soul EVs.
This will help in the future since they eliminate the need for plugs and could eventually alter the overall design of the electric cars as well. The system can transfer 10kW to the vehicle for fast charging while targeting an 85 percent grid-to-vehicle efficiency. Currently, five Soul EVs are being tested them in real-world applications for durability, safety and performance. William Freels, HATCI president, said, “With this fleet of wireless Soul EVs, we can clearly see a future of unplugged electric vehicles.”
For now, there are no plans on how this tech will fit onto a production vehicle. The success of this project depends on how well these systems adapt to future Kia electric vehicles.
HATCI is Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG’s) North American design, technology and engineering division, and Mojo is a privately-held company that makes wireless power charging systems for mobile applications.


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Slang Labs, one of the industry leaders in India in terms of in-app voice assistants, and a pioneer of the Voice Assistant as a Service (VAaaS) technology, has become one of the first companies in the field to secure a funding from Google Assistant, among others. The Bengaluru-based startup has raised a sum of $500,000 in a fundraiser led by Google Assistant under its Investments programme, with participation from 100x Entrepreneurs, Thomas George, Velu Murugan, and Endiya Partners.
Kumar Rangarajan, Co-Founder and CEO at Slang Labs, has expressed excitement over the backing, saying, “So they (Google) typically back companies that build skills on top of Google Assistant. We are the first in-app voice assistant, a parallel assistant framework, that they have backed.” He adds that the funds will be directed towards scaling operations, as well as sales and marketing efforts. Additionally, overseas operations are also on the cards, and will most likely be carried out by the end of this year. This can help platforms boost their numbers of consumers significantly, up to 400 million in Tier 2 markets.
How the technology works is rather simple to understand. All that happens is that the multilingual assistant gets embedded inside the e-commerce app as a multi model overlay, allowing a direct voice interaction with its interface. There are many smart AI components that have been included in the mix, from automatic speech recognition (ASR), to text to speech (TTS).
He also said, “Right now the markets that we’re looking at are the English-speaking markets to start with, like the US, Australia, England and then we’re also talking Middle East. We already are in conversation with a few customers in those markets.”
The firm is well-known for its ‘Slang Conva’ tech, which pioneers the Voice Assistant-as-a-Service, a tool to allow e-commerce platforms to incorporate multilingual in-app voice assistants into their offerings. What this means is that customers and buyers become capable of browsing and performing online transactions using just their voice, and that too, in a language they prefer.
Slang Labs was founded in 2017 by Rangarajan, along with Satish Chandra Gupta and Giridhar Murthy, and has since become a leader in VAaaS offerings. Rangrajan is a well-known name in the Indian industry, as another one of his startups, Little Eye Labs, became the first Indian firm to be bought by Facebook in 2018. It had developed a software tool to analyze the performance of Android apps.
This new funding comes in the wake of a growth in the customer base, along with improved interactions and integrations with consumers, especially in the current quarter. Now, the client base at Slang Labs includes biggies like Shine.com, BigBasket, and RedBus, among other notable names. And that’s not all, as a handful of other large clients are expected to come aboard in the following months. The firm cites an increased penetration into the e-commerce market in India as the chief reason for the same.
In Rangarajan’s words, “Last year, more than 40% of e-commerce transactions came from Tier II and III cities. More and more brands are realising that they need to be able to provide a much better customer experience than they had traditionally been providing,” he said. “That experience powered by voice is the lowest-hanging fruit, the easiest way for them to…reach out to a lot more people.”


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"Thrill-seeking" thieves are committing increasingly brazen ram raids on Auckland shops that are in danger of becoming repeat targets for "audacious" young burglars.
The latest victim of yesterday's daring blitz says it is concerned about the increase in incidents in Auckland and is upping security following the early morning attack.
Security and cleaning staff were put into peril as three stolen vehicles smashed into east Auckland's Ormiston Town Centre shopping centre about 1.10am yesterday, police say.
Electronic items and clothing were among the goods stolen by the group, who fled in two of the cars.
CCTV footage shows vehicles speeding through the mall as a separate group ran after them. In one part of the footage, a car knocks over a large table.
The footage also shows the vehicles parked outside the Noel Leeming where people can be seen loading items into the cars.
A man at the scene yesterday morning said empty iPad and microwave oven boxes were strewn outside the Noel Leeming store and that shattered glass was everywhere.
A Postie worker spoken to by the Herald said damage to the store was minimal, and they believed those involved may have mistaken the shop's red branding for the technology and appliance shop next door.
"Just our door [was damaged], they must have thought we were Noel Leeming."
The stores are beside each other on the Bellingham Rd side of the mall.
Dr Lisa Tompson, senior lecturer at Waikato University's Te Puna Haumaru (the NZ Institute of Security and Crime Science) said there had been a lot of ram-raids recently, especially in Auckland, and the tactics being used were becoming more audacious.
The Ormiston centre was also ram-raided three weeks ago.
Purvi Killa, owner of Christies Jewellery, said thousands of dollars worth of product was taken and the store damaged in a ram-raid earlier in the month.
Speaking about yesterday's incident, Killa said: "It's quite scary. We were all shocked."
Killa said a security guard had told her around 16 young people were involved in yesterday's raid.
Tompson said she wasn't surprised the centre had been robbed again but that the tactics being used were "quite concerning".
"One of the things that we know is that once a location or a store has been victimised once, they're actually at a much greater risk of being revictimised in the period immediately following so it's not a surprise they have targeted this mall again, especially if they have been successful previously."
"This is modus operandi that's been dormant for quite some time until it has come to a point where the offenders clearly think the rewards outweigh the risks involved. There must be an element of thrill-seeking involved.
"From an offenders' perspective, it doesn't it get much [better] than what they did in terms of the thrills involved."
The Ormiston attack on Tuesday morning was the latest in a string of ram raids across New Zealand.
In the Bay of Plenty, Pāpāmoa Four Square was also ram-raided early on Tuesday morning. Police received a report of a burglary around 4.30am.
Other businesses that have been the victims of similar robberies this month include Titirangi's Scenic Dairy on April 10, the Louis Vuitton and Gucci stores on Queen St on April 11, a Four Square in Te Aroha on April 11 and a cafe and service station in Whanganui on April 20.
Earlier in the month, Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said Police national intelligence showed 88 per cent of ram-raid offenders were under 20 years old, with the majority actually under 17.
Tompson said bollards were the "de facto, go-to option" for preventing ram-raids but many businesses, especially small businesses, would struggle to afford them.
"They're not cheap but as far as I can tell in the research literature they are one of the most effective things to prevent ram raids."
National leader Christopher Luxon said yesterday the spike in ram-raids across Auckland was "devastating" for the businesses targeted.
"I'm shocked and saddened to see this despicable criminal behaviour in Botany," Luxon, who is the MP for Botany, said.
A spokesperson for Ormiston Town Centre said no one was injured during the ordeal.
"The centre owners are concerned about the increase in incidents across Auckland and are increasing security measures at the centre."
"We are working with police who are making inquiries into the incident."
Police appealed to anyone with information to contact them on 105, quoting P050366870 or to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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Fund managers have spoken out in favour of tech giant Apple despite the announcement it would be launching its much-anticipated iPhone X later than expected, which caused a 2.5% fall in intraday trading on Tuesday.
While Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said this model would be the "biggest leap" forward since the original iPhone, investors paid more attention to the launch date, which was set for November 3 in an unprecedented...
Concerns rally is overextended
Female millennials invested 40% more year-to-date
Will compare with May 2017 results
Jane Ambachtsheer joins as global head of sustainability
Ness spent eight years at the firm


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Will Apple Pay and Its Backers Ignite Mobile Wallets? (Sept. 11, 2014)
First Annapolis Analyzes Apple Announcements: New Devices and Payments Services. Click here for the full chart.
Numerous payments providers, financial institutions and merchants have thrown their support behind Apple Inc.’s new Apple Pay service—and if the tidal wave of early backing is any indication, the Apple and iPhone brands already may have overcome one of the most vexing issues hindering mobile wallet adoption—lack of widespread support by stakeholders in the value chain.
Featured on the soon-to-be-available iPhone 6 and Apple Watch devices—the first-ever Apple products equipped with NFC technology—Apple Pay works with Apple’s existing Passbook app to enable users to store tokenized payment card data to make in-store payments. (For an instant overview of Apple Pay, click here.) During Apple’s launch event on Tuesday, the company announced a slew of initial supporters, including payments networks American Express, MasterCard and Visa, along with card issuers Bank of America, Capital One Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Wells Fargo. U.S. Bank announced its support a day later, and additional issuer partners are coming soon.
And, significantly, numerous retailers already are on board. These include Bloomingdale’s, Disney Stores, McDonald’s, Duane Reade, Macy’s, Sephora, Staples, Subway, Walgreens and Whole Foods, along with Apple’s own 258 retail locations. The merchant support could be especially important, as merchant reluctance to install NFC-compatible POS hardware has been one of the key impediments to NFC ubiquity, according to many industry observers. But Apple’s large and dedicated user base could finally give retailers a large enough incentive to adopt NFC. Meanwhile, mobile commerce-focused payments processors Stripe and Braintree (a unit of PayPal Inc.) have announced support for Apple Pay payments and released instructions for developer clients to integrate the service when designing apps. POS systems provider Harbortouch also announced it will support Apple Pay using the company’s Perkwave Terminal.
And with Apple’s support for NFC likely to boost the technology as a whole, even newfound competitors in the mobile wallet space have emerged as possible partners. Softcard—the telecom operator-backed mobile wallet service formerly known as Isis—said this week that it was “actively working” with Apple to enable Softcard’s own wallet on the iPhone 6. Softcard CEO Michael Abbott said in a release that Apple’s support of NFC “sets the stage for rapid scale adoption of mobile commerce” as a whole.
But despite a powerful brand and strong support network, Apple Pay faces many of the same challenges that have confronted other providers of NFC wallets, notes Rick Oglesby, senior research analyst, Double Diamond Group LLC. “Consumers have been offered tap-and-pay products before and have shown a low penchant for adoption. From an offline merchant’s perspective, the big change here is simply that the product is being offered by Apple rather than by Google or Isis/Softcard,” Oglesby tells Paybefore. “That does make a difference, but … either Apple or third party app developers will need to create some big value-added capabilities around Apple Pay in order to drive consumer and merchant adoption offline.” He goes on to note that MCX—the retailer-led mobile wallet consortium—already has rejected an NFC wallet model in favor of a barcode- and cloud-based model. And several of MCX’s biggest retailer members, including Best Buy and Walmart, have said they have no plans to adopt Apple Pay.
However, Oglesby does expect Apple Pay to gain immediate traction online. “Mobile shopping and Apple devices go hand-in-hand, making Apple ubiquitous on both the consumer and merchant sides of mobile shopping,” he notes. “Add in the convenience and security capabilities that others just can’t match, and Apple has strong competitive advantages for online and in-app payments that will pay off quickly.”
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Harley-Davidson will kick off its 5th anniversary celebrations with the 3rd India H.O.G. Rally which will be followed by India Bike Week to be held in Goa.
Harley-Davidson India has invited 8,000 proud Harley owners across India to be a part of its 5th anniversary celebrations which begin in February in Goa. From the time it began its retail operations in India in 2010, Harley-Davidson has come a long way by selling over 8,000 motorcycles across various categories making it a success story on the Indian soil. With 17 dealerships in 14 cities, Harley has made a mark which many thought, in the beginning, to be impossible.
Confirming the beginning of the celebrations, Mr. Anoop Prakash, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson India said, “The 3rd India H.O.G. Rally will be a larger-than-life celebration of the freedom that unites us all, and we invite all Harley owners and their families to join us in scenic Goa. Since we began our journey in India five years ago, Harley-Davidson has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom for thousands of brand enthusiasts. More than 8000 Harley-Davidson owners are riding on Indian roads, which stands testimony to the customer experience we deliver to our owners.”
Harley will start the festivities with India’s 3rd H.O.G. Rally which will take place on February 19 in Goa. This will be followed by India Bike Week for which Harley-Davidson is the founder and principal sponsor. The two day event will witness Harley riders across India coming to Goa and rattle it with the sounds of thousands of the V-twins. The first edition of India Bike Week attracted 600 Harley owners from different parts of the nation and the second one was attended by 1,200 of them. This year, the amount is expected to smash all records thanks to the Harley Davidson Street 750 (which will be attending the event for the first time) which was welcomed with open arms by the Indian fraternity.
With four new launches in 2014, Harley is confident that the 2015 version of the India Bike Week will be the most successful one ever. The Milwaukee based motorcycle manufacturer is confident that the new models, the Harley-Davidson Street 750, Breakout, Street Glide Special and CVO Limited will carve a niche for themselves in the months to come.


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Kerry Group have announced the establishment of an industry-leading global technology and innovation centre in Ireland. Located on a 28 acre site in the Millennium Business Park, Naas, Kerry Group will invest €100m in the new campus, which will accommodate 800 people in 2015 and a further 100 positions when fully commissioned by mid-2016.
The new Kerry Global Technology & Innovation Centre will also include Kerry Ingredients & Flavours global and EMEA regional management, 1 Kerry Global Business Services and support functions.
The new centre will serve as a key focal point for Kerry’s customer engagement activities providing strategic customers with access to the Group’s complete breadth and depth of technologies, scientific research, innovation and applications expertise across food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.
The new investment will be part-funded by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has also had an involvement. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD regards today’s announcement as “perhaps the most significant investment ever in the Irish Agri Food industry” and “proof that the agri food sector can be central to rebuilding the Irish economy”. He added: “This investment is a statement of confidence in the Irish economy and in the quality of Irish food science graduates to deliver food innovation in the most modern facility of its type on the planet. The agri food and food innovation sector will continue to provide positivity and optimism in the Irish economy. The leadership that Kerry have shown with this project is testament to their commitment to this country”.


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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's been years since Subway customers saw the $5 foot-long sandwich deal, but in 2018 it's reemerged at a penny cheaper - $4.99.
"I assume everyone always goes to Subway, especially for like lunch or for businesses and such. It's easier than a McDonald's, or Burger King, or something like that," Michelle Kitchen said.
But customers like Kitchen would be wrong. Subway has battled fresh produce complaints as other chains are going healthy.
A driving force in the market is McDonald's with a new $1, $2, or $3 menu that gives customers a choice from a $1 McChicken sandwich and any size drink all the way to a $3 Happy Meal or triple cheeseburger.
Fast-food chain Jack in the Box also launched a "Value Done Jack's Way" - priced at $5 or less.
And Taco Bell officially introduced a new creation - $1 Nacho Cheese Fries, with Mexican seasoning and a side of warm nacho cheese. Customer Nick Tong tried Taco Bell's Stacker - a quesadilla-like meat and cheese sandwich.
"I don't want to spend $15 on lunch every day but it's also got to have some sort of appeal as far as something I would definitely want to eat versus just price alone," he said.
Even small changes can be seen in 2018 at the Southern California burger institution, In-N-Out Burger. For the first time in more than 15 years, the cult favorite made an addition, sort of. An item, which had fallen off the menu years ago, returned - an 8-ounce cup of hot chocolate for $1.65.
It seems the bottom line for at least one customer we spoke to is what hits the spot.
"McDonald's is fine, but I prefer In-N-Out," Jean Buendia said.
Fast-food chains battle it out with new menu options
More TOP STORIES News


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Elon Musk, Jezz Bezos, Louis Vuitton chief Bernard Arnault, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, all feature on the list.
Indian business tycoon Mukesh Ambani has entered the elite club of individuals who hold fortunes over $100 billion.
The chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd joins 10 men in the world’s most exclusive wealth club, as per the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. Elon Musk leads the list with a net worth of $222.1 billion, followed by Jeff Bezos with $190.8 billion. Louis Vuitton chief Bernard Arnault, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google’s Larry Page and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg are some of the other billionaires on the list.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, Mukesh Ambani, whose wealth increased by $23.8 billion this year, is now worth $100.6 billion.
Earlier this year, Ambani toppled Chinese business tycoon Jack Ma to become the richest Asian in the world. Ambani ranked 10 on Forbes’ 35th annual list of the world’s billionaires with a net worth of $84.5 billion. India’s second richest individual, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, ranked 24th on the Forbes list with a net worth of $50.5 billion.
Despite the pandemic, India's billionaire club grew to 237 last year, according to the recently announced IIFL Hurun India Rich List for 2021. Adani has earned $39.5 billion last year, the Bloomberg report showed. India’s third-richest individual, Azim Premji, added $12.8 billion to his fortunes last year.
“Mukesh Ambani is at the forefront of creating new businesses with new emerging technologies,” Chakri Lokapriya, chief investment officer at TCG Asset Management, told Bloomberg, adding that he demonstrated his capabilities by creating businesses of scale at speed.
Also Read: Sunil Mittal vows to bring telecom industry together; talks to Voda's Nick Read, will reach out to Ambani
Apart from the oil-refining and petrochemicals businesses which he inherited from his father in 2005, Ambani has ventured into retail, technology and e-commerce. Last year, his retail and technology ventures raised nearly $27 billion through stake sales. In June this year, Ambani unveiled a plan to invest about $10 billion over three years in green energy.
Disclaimer: Network18, the parent company of CNBCTV18.com, is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
(Edited by : Jomy Jos Pullokaran)


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Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) Issues Q4 Earnings Guidance
Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) issued an update on its fourth quarter earnings guidance on Monday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $0.41 for the period, compared to the Thomson Reuters consensus EPS estimate of $0.34. The company issued revenue guidance of $3.274 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.15 billion.
Shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) traded up 1.60% during trading on Monday, hitting $202.68. The stock had a trading volume of 21,400,237 shares. The company has a market capitalization of $87.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 246.57 and a beta of 1.09. Netflix, Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.38 and a 1-year high of $202.83. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $183.35 and a 200 day moving average of $165.87.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, October 16th. The Internet television network reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.03). Netflix had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 12.82%. The business had revenue of $2.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.97 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Netflix, Inc. will post $1.19 EPS for the current fiscal year.
A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $203.00 target price on Netflix and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 30th. Citigroup Inc. lifted their target price on Netflix from $180.00 to $205.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday. Morgan Stanley reissued an overweight rating and issued a $185.00 target price (up previously from $175.00) on shares of Netflix in a research report on Thursday, July 13th. Vetr lowered Netflix from a sell rating to a strong sell rating and set a $162.49 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reissued a hold rating and issued a $175.00 target price on shares of Netflix in a research report on Friday, September 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nineteen have given a hold rating and thirty-one have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $191.42.
In related news, Director Richard N. Barton sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $196.16, for a total transaction of $392,320.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Gregory K. Peters sold 12,768 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.38, for a total value of $2,264,787.84. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 19,208 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,407,115.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 318,067 shares of company stock valued at $57,315,706 over the last ninety days. 4.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Netflix Company Profile
Netflix, Inc is a provider an Internet television network. The Company operates through three segments: Domestic streaming, International streaming and Domestic DVD. The Domestic streaming segment includes services that streams content to its members in the United States. The International streaming segment includes services that streams content to its members outside the United States.
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All of us want to save money wherever we can. And during the holidays, many people pay extra attention to how much they’re saving, often employing strategies to prevent overspending. But new research from Elevate’s Center for the New Middle Class shows that some of those strategies might not be working out so well for folks.
Elevate reports that last year, nearly 40 percent of consumers said they spent too much money during the holiday season, despite their efforts to save. The firm surveyed over 1,000 consumers across the United States just after the 2016 holiday season ended, when their memories of what they spent were still recent in their minds.
Jonathan Walker, executive director of Elevate, explained that “consumers often employ strategies to save money during the holidays that actually work against them.” He said looking for bargains makes people “much more likely to spend more than they planned.” Eighty-six percent of survey respondents said they shopped sales to save money, but Walker says it doesn’t tend to work. “It turns out that one of the best ways to ensure overspending is to chase the sales.”
Budgets, coupons, and credit cards versus cash
Many people make a holiday budget to aid them in meeting their spending and savings goals. But those who looked for sales were 45 percent more likely to go over budget. Having a budget, at least, is a good plan: shoppers who didn’t set a budget were 87 percent more likely to overspend than those who did create a budget.
Clipping coupons was also not a great savings strategy. Coupon enthusiasts were 22 percent more likely than other shoppers to spend more than they planned, even when they were working with a budget. Coupon clippers who didn’t have a budget were 76 percent more likely to overspend.
One way people were able to stay within their budgets was to use cash rather than credit cards or debit cards to pay for their purchases. However, using cash isn’t necessarily the wisest choice either, because shoppers miss out on earning rewards points, cash back, and frequent flyer miles that they can earn when shopping. During the holidays, many credit card issuers give up to five percent cash back at department stores and online, which can add up to a nice credit card reward once the holidays are over.


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February 6, 2012 (Chinavestor) The earnings season has started out with a huge disappointment for Chinese stocks. China's fourth largest web portal Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) reported net income of $26.857 million or $.65/share for the fourth quarter, a 45.5% drop from the previous quarter. Investors wonder what's happening at a time when revenues rose to $246.183 million, representing an increase of 6% from previous quarter or 42% YoY. And that this quarter wasn't just a fluke, Sohu.com Inc., (NASDAQ:SOHU) announced EPS estimates of $.55 a share, well short of previous estimates of $1.13 a share. It's not just bottom line that is troubling investors. The company predicts 2012 first quarter revenues somewhere between $219 million and $225 million, well short of $238.2 million analysts were expecting. Is Sohu pulling a Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO)? Some may wonder if China's online portal have reached its potential and net income growth is limited from here. To illustrate the point, take a look at the following charts depicting revenue and net income growth for Sohu.com (NASDAQ:SOHU) next to Yahoo.com Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO).
|Sohu.com Inc. (SOHU) [$ million]||Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) [$ million]|
Well, the picture reveals that Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) has top line growth potential left. Considering that China's internet population reached 517 million by the end of the year and represent less than 50% saturation, there is room for growth. But Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) will have to find smarter ways to invest than it did in the past. The company just announced a goodwill impairment loss of $27.5 million and is investing heavily in the online video business. Considering that both key players in the arena, Youku.com Inc. (NYSE:YOKU) and Tudou Hold. (NASDAQ:TUDO), are in the red, it doesn't take to be a genius to see how much profits Sohu.com Inc. (NASDAQ:SOHU) generated from there.
Considering the $733 million cash at hand and the long history of the company, it is not going to go anywhere. But investors have to be careful and touch the stock only when revenue and net income growth return.


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The first trial of 1,800 state vaginal mesh implant lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson began with jury selection last week in the Superior Court of Atlantic County, N.J. The plaintiff, Linda Gross of South Dakota, blames the implant for causing her severe, constant pain that required her to undergo 18 surgeries.
Bloomberg reported that Gross’ attorneys filed documents that said: “She can no longer sit comfortably for more than a few minutes without having to either stand up or lay down to try and reduce the level of pain.” In addition, Gross is forced to take several medications to treat the pain. She is also a former nurse who can no longer work because of the pain caused by the failed mesh device.
Gross had J&J’s Gynecare Prolift product implanted on July 13, 2006, to help repair pelvic organ prolapse. Her lawsuit claims that the New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant was fully aware of the problems and risks related to the Prolift mesh implant before it began selling it in 2005. The suit accuses J&J of failure to warn the public of the risks, deceit, defective design and negligence.
After jury selection, opening statements began on Jan. 10. In his opening statement, Adam Slater – Gross’ attorney – said J&J “knew every single catastrophe before it happened. They knew Linda Gross was going to happen.” The plaintiff’s first witness, Ethicon project leader Scott Ciarrocca, took the stand on Jan. 11. He testified that a prototype of the company’s vaginal mesh device failed in 20 percent of women within six months of implantation and 27 percent failed within a year. These failures occurred in studies of the product before the device reached the market.
J&J Denies Allegations
In response to Gross’ claims, J&J attorney Christy Jones said, “Prolift did exactly what it was supposed to do. It put her organs back in the correct anatomical position.” The defendant company also says that Gross’ claims are unwarranted because Gross and her surgeon were properly warned of the risks.
J&J’s spokesman, Matthew Johnson, told Bloomberg: “The evidence will show that Ethicon acted appropriately and responsibly in the research, development and marketing of pelvic mesh products to treat debilitating conditions affecting many women.”
Despite defending the product, the company discontinued four of its mesh products in the United States in June 2012 – including the Prolift. According to J&J, the products are safe and effective, and it stopped global sales of the product because of poor commercial performance.
More Mesh Safety Studies Required
In 2010, 75,000 American women received transvaginal mesh implants to strengthen pelvic muscles following prolapse. For Gross’ pelvic procedure and others like it, the mesh is inserted through incisions made in the vagina. Gross’ attorney claims J&J did not conduct clinical tests on Prolift before releasing it on the market.
One of the problems is that the mesh hardens in the tissue, causing scarring and inflammation. Removing problematic mesh is also difficult because it fuses with muscles and tissues. Women with mesh implants may suffer from perforation of organs, erosion of the vaginal tissue, vaginal bleeding, vaginal scarring and severe pain.
J&J’s internal emails show that the company knew of the risks of the mesh, yet failed to develop a safer product before releasing it.
In January 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) directed J&J and several other mesh manufacturers to conduct studies on organ damage and complications caused by vaginal mesh implants.
Controversy Over Prolift FDA Clearance
There is controversy over whether the Prolift device went through the proper channels of approval. J&J was able to start selling the device under the FDA’s 510(k) application process. Instead of having to conduct rigorous tests, the company simply compared the Gynecare Prolift to another one of its mesh products already on the market, Gynecare Gynemesh.
However, the FDA rejected the application and required that J&J file a new application in 2007. The FDA approved the Prolift in 2008, but J&J began sales before its official approval.
According to Slater, Gross’ doctor was unaware that Prolift wasn’t cleared by the FDA when he implanted it, and he wouldn’t have used the device if he knew. J&J’s lawyers claim they released the product “under guidance” of the FDA. Because of the problems arising from 510(k) approval of faulty mesh products, a bill was introduced to Congress in February 2012 to allow regulators to block medical devices based on past safety issues.
J&J is only one of several companies being sued for dangerous mesh products. Other major mesh manufacturers include American Medical Systems, Boston Scientific and C.R. Bard, Inc. In August 2012, a California jury awarded Christine Scott $5.5 million in her transvaginal mesh lawsuit against C.R. Bard and its subsidiary, Bard Medical.


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NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- GlaxoSmithKline has awarded its $1.4 billion U.S. media account to Omnicom Group's PHD, beating out incumbent WPP's MediaCom, Publicis Groupe's Starcom and Havas' MPG, according to executives with knowledge of the review.
The review covered the planning and buying duties on the consumer health-care and pharmaceutical businesses across all communication channels, including TV, print and digital.
In winning one of the biggest media pitches of the year, PHD has taken a major step toward filling the hole left by the departure of its biggest client, Chrysler, one year ago. The agency also named Andrew McLean, former worldwide chief business development officer at WPP's Group M, U.S. CEO, in late October. Mr. McLean replaced Scott Hagedorn, who is now heading the Annalect Group, a new digital and data analytics agency within Omnicom Media Group.
"Throughout the review process, PHD demonstrated impressive creativity and strategic planning savvy, which they paired with a highly competitive cost base," said Jim Martin, VP Procurement, "We were also impressed by their digital media innovations, and we believe they are the best possible partner to lead us into the future." The agency referred calls to the client. The review was handled by consultancy Ark Advisors.
The loss is a major blow to incumbent MediaCom, which no doubt is looking to put 2010 behind it. During the past 12 months the agency has lost a number of high-profile accounts, including Diageo ($130 million), Darden's Red Lobster planning business ($119 million), Ethan Allen ($23 million), JetBlue ($10 million), Lifetime Entertainment ($40 million) and the American Egg Board ($13 million).
It did pick up the $95 million Traveler's Insurance and $100 million Revlon accounts earlier this year.
GSK ranks No. 18 on Ad Age's 100 Leading National Advertisers report, with more than $1.4 billion in U.S. ad spending.
During a European review earlier this year GSK shifted some assignments away from MediaCom to Publicis Groupe's Starcom, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. But it's the first time GSK has reviewed the U.S. portion of its advertising account in nearly a decade.
The company produces and markets consumer health-care products including Aquafresh, Alli, Geritol, Nicorette, Nytol, Super Poligrip and Tums. Some of its prescription medicines include Flonase, Valtrex and Zantac. In late July GSK reported more than $10 billion in sales for the second quarter of 2010 and more than $22 billion for the first half of the year.


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The Supreme Court of India (SC), on February 22, allowed the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to continue its proceedings in the Amazon versus Future Group case but restrained it from passing any final order.
The SC has issued a notice to Future Retail (FRL) on Amazon’s plea seeking status quo. Earlier this month, Amazon had moved the SC, challenging the lifting of ‘status quo’ orders on the FRL–Reliance Retail stake sale deal of nearly Rs 25,000 crore by the division bench of the Delhi HC.
The SC had initially proposed to issue notice and stay the NCLT proceedings, to which FRL’s legal representative, senior advocate Harish Salve, informed the court that the Delhi HC hearing is due on February 26.
He further said that FRL’s meeting is “a first-step meeting where everyone else has appeared. That is six weeks away. Staying NCLT proceedings will only stay meeting for six weeks.”
“Reliance is calling its own meeting, FRL is coordinating shareholder meeting separately. Nothing will happen as shareholder meeting will take six weeks,” Salve added.
Amazon’s legal representative, senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, pointed out that these meetings were taken in violation of the arbitrator's order, Live Law reported.
Taking this into consideration, the SC observed that NCLT proceedings may be allowed without any final orders being issued. “We have read every page and know exactly what’s happening. We don’t wish to reveal it now. We are not commenting on merits here,” it said.
The SC’s final order stated: “We issue notice to come up after three weeks after the rejoinder is filed within two weeks. Meanwhile, NCLT proceedings allowed to go on but not to culminate into any final order of sanction of schemes.”
The bench further clarified that this order “has not been made in terms of the status quo order by the High Court’s Single Judge Bench.”
Meanwhile, the Delhi HC, on February 22, adjourned its hearing in Amazon's appeal against the single-judge bench order on Reliance-Future Retail stake sale deal to March 18, Live Law reported.
Future Group had moved the NCLT in January 2021, seeking approval to complete its deal with Reliance Retail. The NCLT hearing was initially stayed by the Delhi HC, but allowed by a division bench on appeal by Future.
Future approached the tribunal after it locked horns with Amazon over alleged breach of contract and the US retail giant’s right of first refusal which bars share sale to firms such as Reliance Retail.
Amazon then petitioned the HC, seeking enforcement of the arbitrator’s award restraining Future Retail from going ahead with the deal, and then the SC, when the Delhi HC division bench granted relief to Future.Disclaimer: Reliance Industries (RIL) is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd, which publishes Moneycontrol.


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autofieldblog 2015 Car of the Year: 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Let’s face it: there are a number of really good cars launched in 2015. There were many that really moved the proverbial bar higher—indeed, almost to a higher plane.
The 2016 Toyota Prius is certainly a car that will carry on the heritage of that proverbial name: there were many that thought that the Prius was nothing more than a gimmick, yet here it is, the fourth generation and the world’s competitors are chasing that hybrid vehicle.
The 2016 Honda Civic brings back the “Civicness” that was long a key factor in making the car so successful. Honda had cracked the code on building a car that was small(er), fun to drive whether you were going to get groceries or had tuned it for a little something extra, and comparatively economical without seeming as though it was an exercise in seeing how much content could be taken out of the car before it seemed as though it was something that you’d buy at a place called “The Dollar Car Store.” Then they lost the key to the code. And now, with this all-new, 10th generation vehicle, they’ve had the cryptographers working overtime to good purpose.
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu is another all-new entry. The engineers that went at this car did so with a zeal that seems to have been overlooked of late. Sure, they were making a midsize family sedan, not a Stingray or a Camaro, but it almost seems as though they reckoned that if cars like those two could be in a Chevy showroom and if there are people who actually need cars with a usable backseat, then they ought to make a car that can hold its own with its more exotic brethren. It is a really fine car.
And there are more.
Yet the autofieldblog 2015 Car of the Year is the Mazda MX-5 Miata. This is the fourth generation of the two-seat sports car. The original car had its world debut at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show and it immediately captured the imagination of those who were looking for a car that had fundamental levels of performance which contributed to an overall, essential driving experience, not just something that would go fast in a straight line.
Over the years, the car changed and got somewhat bigger and more bulky (yet was still diminutive by what was going on with many other vehicles).
This time, the team responsible for the Miata went back to creating a car that is light, capable and stylish. A no-apologies sports car. The 2016 Miata is 150 pounds lighter than a generation three car and merely 182 pounds heavier than the original. (Think only about the safety requirements that have come into effect since model year 1990 to 2016, to say nothing of technology expectations that have come into play that add mass.)
The 2016 Miata is modern, comfortable (yes, the seating is remarkable), performance-capable, and comparatively impractical.


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Entries in 'password' (6)
UPDATED: NCsoft has contacted MCV to explain that not all of the 11,000 emails it received were related to hacking. Some referred to lost emails and assorted other non-related issues. ...
Following a fresh blow it its efforts to repair the PR damage done by the PSN implosion, Sony has now resolved an issue with its PSN password rest page.
It's the nightmare it must have been dreading. Evidence is mounting that one of Sony's fresh PSN security measures has already been circumvented.
Users who are still waiting for a PSN confirmation email from Sony have been told that they must request a new one.
PlayStation Network operator Sony has dismissed claims that hackers who obtained user information from its servers have been trying to sell the data on the black market.


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Nigeria’s digital publishing platform, Publiseer, has been selected to pitch at Startup Turkey Top 100 Demo Day set to take place on the 26th to 29th of April in Istanbul, Turkey.
The media loving started recently emerged the winner at the Startup World Cup Nigeria Regional Competition, thus securing a place at the grand finale in Silicon Valley.
“I’m happy that we’re one of those African startups, and we’ll work even harder to move higher in the ranks,” says Chidi Nwaogu, who recently was shortlisted for the Yunus&Youth Global Fellowship Program for Social Entrepreneurs 2019, and was selected to be one of the 25 Young Founders for the Spring 2019 Westerwelle Young Founders Programme. As a Westerwelle Fellow, Nwaogu will be attending the Young Founders Conference from 2nd to 6th of April 2019.
In an email from Elif Coskunkan, the company was made aware of its selection to Startup 100. Publiseer was selected as the top 100 from 120,000 startup applications from 150 countries. Only 1% of the startups that applied were selected to join the Startup Turkey.
‘Startup 100’ companies will join online webinars, mentorship, a Boat Tour in Istanbul and plus they will get high-level exposure with startup booth and quickfire pitch on stage on the 29th.
Publiseer is a digital publisher that helps African writers and musicians from low-income communities to distribute and monetize their creative works across over 400 digital stores in 100 countries, with just a single click and at no charge.


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Lin Fan was driving, preparing to meet Yan Xue.
Lin Fan was the second-largest shareholder of the New Era Lisheng Hotel, and this hotel had branches all over Shanghai.
Such a five-star hotel had its capital chain broken in one night.
Huo Xinyu’s methods could be said to be quite ruthless.
Before Huo Xinyu attacked, Lin Fan was already prepared.
If Huo Xinyu wanted to fight, so be it.
After discussing with Yan Xue for a long time at the New Lisheng Hotel, Lin Fan prepared to go to Yunhang Technologies to see Yun Qian.
After all, he had a good relationship with Yun Qian. If Yunhang Technologies collapsed, Lin Fan wouldn’t be able to collect five years’ worth of rent for seven floors of the technology building.
The rent of tens of millions every year was real money.
At the same time, at the Huo family.
Huo Xinyu sat there with her eyes closed.
As a business elite, she quickly destroyed Lin Fan’s five-star hotel.
“CEO Huo, the capital chain of the New Era Lisheng Hotel has been broken. If nothing goes wrong, this company will close down in less than half a month. CEO Huo’s move is brilliant. It’s equivalent to breaking Lin Fan’s arm,” the assistant said.
“Yunhang Technologies has also been implicated because of Lin Fan. If this continues, which company will dare to work with Lin Fan?” The assistant revealed a look of admiration.
This was the strength of Huo Xinyu of the Huo family, one of the four great families of Shanghai.
Both companies were worth billions. Huo Xinyu could directly make both companies reach the verge of bankruptcy.
“With the two companies crippled, Lin Fan will definitely go to them.”
“Lin Fan injured my brother to such an extent. It’s a slap to the Huo family’s face, so… I shall let Lin Fan experience the Huo family’s methods.”
“Orchestrate a car accident on the road. From then on, Lin Fan can disappear from this world,” Huo Xinyu said casually as if she didn’t care.
Some people should pay the price for what they had done!
At this moment… a piece of news reached the Huo family.
“CEO Huo, the latest news is here.”
“The company capital chain of the New Era Lisheng Hotel has been restored. All the raw materials merchants have also restored their relationship with the New Era Lisheng Hotel. The New Era Lisheng Hotel can operate normally now.”
“Other than that, there’s also a sum of money that has been directly injected into Yunhang Technologies. Both companies have returned to normal.”
“How is that possible… We’ve already checked the connections of these two companies. We had already caused them to collapse, but now, how can these two companies return to normal so quickly?” The assistant’s expression was a little ugly.
Huo Xinyu took action and directly destroyed the two companies.
Not long after, the two companies had recovered.
This kind of thing was impossible in business.
The Huo family had already investigated the details of New Lisheng Holdings and Yunhang Technologies very clearly.
But now, both companies had returned to normal.
This could only mean that an external force had interfered with the Huo family’s counterattack on these two companies.
Lin Fan had attacked!!
Huo Xinyu gave Lin Fan a fatal blow. Lin Fan’s actions had restored the capital chains of both companies.
These two companies also had a lot of connections.
In Shanghai, it was too difficult for the Huo family to cover the sky on their own.
“Have you found out the reason?”
“Which company injected funds into the two companies?” Huo Xinyu asked.
If Lin Fan wanted to save these two companies, he would need a lot of money.
And this money was at least hundreds of millions!
In other words, Lin Fan definitely had other backgrounds that Huo Xinyu hadn’t found out about.
This was also the reason why the two companies could be revived instantly.
Lin Fan’s counterattack made Huo Xinyu more energetic.
She had never failed in business.
If a new company was willing to help Lin Fan, she would destroy those companies too!
Her brother, Huo Tian, was injured. As his sister, Huo Xinyu would never let Lin Fan off.
“CEO Huo, this company is from overseas… Our company can’t afford to offend them,” the assistant said.
“This company is the Bugatti Corporation.” After the assistant said that, everyone in the family gasped.
“The Bugatti Corporation?!”
“How is that possible? The Bugatti Corporation is a luxury car brand in Europe, and it’s foreign. How could Lin have anything to do with them?”
“The Bugatti Corporation is actually willing to help Lin Fan get through this? To restore the capital chains of both companies at the same time, each company needs at least 500 million in cash flow. In other words, the Bugatti Corporation offered Lin Fan a billion yuan!”
“How deep is Lin Fan’s background? No wonder I couldn’t find any other background of Lin Fan previously. So he has a connection with the higher-ups of the Bugatti Corporation. No wonder Lin Fan could get the limited edition Bugatti sports car.”
The higher-ups of the Huo Corporation gathered together, their faces filled with shock.
The intervention of the Bugatti Corporation made it more difficult for the Huo family to attack Lin Fan.
“CEO Huo, what should we do next?”
“The Bugatti Corporation has a lot of money. If they insist on helping Lin Fan, it will undoubtedly be much more difficult for us to attack him.”
“We have to kill Lin Fan. Damn it, that Lin Fan is so arrogant. So what if he has a girlfriend? Who knows if Xia Wanqiu is still a virgin? Maybe Lin Fan picked up a second-hand good.”
Many people from the Huo family were mocking Lin Fan.
The only son of the Huo family had his limbs broken.
The entire Huo family was embarrassed.
Who dared to target the Huo family like this?
Only Lin Fan.
After Lin Fan did these things, everyone in the Huo family was furious.
When Lin Fan crippled Huo Tian’s limbs, the Huo family was destined to fight Lin Fan to the death.
What they wanted was to make Lin Fan pay an even more tragic price.
“The Bugatti Corporation did help Lin Fan fork out a billion dollars, but this is only limited to Lin Fan’s good relationship with the Bugatti Corporation. Lin Fan definitely can’t be a major shareholder of the Bugatti Corporation.”
“The Bugatti Corporation can offer one billion. Can they give Lin Fan two billion?”
“Also, he has to pay back the one billion that the Bugatti Corporation offered. If we make Lin Fan lose more funds, can he withstand it?” Huo Xinyu smiled calmly.
Especially companies like New Era Lisheng Hotel and Yunhang Technologies. Such companies could not compare to the Huo family.
“I heard that Yunhang Technologies and New Lisheng Hotel are also involved in casinos. Then let’s go to their casinos to play…”
“So what if they have a capital chain? It’s enough to make these two companies go bankrupt instantly.”
Huo Xinyu said calmly. She put on her coat and walked out.
All the higher-ups of the Huo family looked at Huo Xinyu’s back view excitedly.
If the previous commercial strike was only the first step, Lin Fan’s counterattack and response made this battle white-hot.
Huo Xinyu, a legend in the business world, chose to take the initiative to destroy these two companies!


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Valkyrie Profile 3 in the Works for E3 as PS3 Exclusive?
It looks like someone high up might have been paying attention to the comment of our latest 5 RPGs We Want on PS3 article that ran this week because it looks like Valkyrie Profile 3 is in the works, and better still, may be exclusive to the PS3.
PSM3 recently revealed a secret mystery game in the works that would be revealed in the June 3rd issue and sign are pointing towards that being VP3. Valkyrie Profile is another great series that should make any PS3 owner starving for RPG love happy and will bring players back into the world of the Valkyrie after an almost 4 year absence. As E3 approaches hopefully we will receive more information on the game and I honestly cannot wait, it should be another great effort by developer tri-Ace.


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MAY 19, 2005 -- Gay Williams works at Alford Seafood in Monkey Junction. She says she takes 50 to 75 calls a day about blue crabs. "I say, we got a few right now, so if you're not here in 30 minutes, they're going to somebody else," says Williams.
Those popular hard shell crabs come at a price, about three dollars more per dozen than last year. At Alford's, the crabs run about ten dollars a dozen. Last year, they were a little less than seven bucks for the same amount. They say the cold weather could be to blame. It keeps the crabs away from the crabbers. "When the water's cold, they're gonna stay in the mud. When the water warms up, they get out of it and into their traps," says Williams.
Some shoppers say the costly crabs could keep buyers like them at bay. "They'll buy less of them because there is sometimes people just want to have a few crabs and if they are expensive, they'll have just a few less," says shopper, Chuck Ramsey. But, now that the weather is starting to warm up, the crabs will come out of hiding. That's good for the crabbers, and that should bring the price tag down, which is great for the customers.


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Well, our obsession with smartphones is always sky-high. People are so fascinated with them that they are curious to know which phones would be coming in advance. September is the month when almost all the launch events take place. TheRecentTimes has brought all the vital details about the Top 10 Smartphones that are going to be launched this month. So, read the entire article to know about what new features will be coming in the new smartphones.
1. JIOPHONE Next
Reliance is launching its new version of Jio Phone that is JIOPHONE NEXT in September 2021. This smartphone is going to be an Android Go Phone. This is going to be very useful for the people with its 5-5.5″ and will have Android 11. It will be affordable for people with a price as low as 3.5k rupees. it has fantastic features such as Snapdragon 215 processor, 5.5 HD+ Display, and 13MP camera. According to the updates, the launch event will be on 10 September 2021.
2. ASUS 8Z
The ASUS 8Z will be released in September 2021. It is releasing most probably in the second week of September. People have been waiting for this smartphone for a long time and now their wait is over. It is a compact device of small size but is remarkable in its performance. Most probably, it will come out latest by 15th September 2021.
3. Micromax IN Note 1 Pro
There are widespread rumors that the Pro-variant to In 1 will launch in September itself. According to sources, it will be G95 SOC. Moreover, the makers will launch it by mid-September 2021. This smartphone will have an Helio G95 processor. People are very excited about its launch.
4. Redmi 10 Prime/POCO M4
The makers have launched this phone on 3rd September and the teasers are already out. This smartphone is having an MTK Helio G88 processor, a 50 MP Quad camera, and a battery of 5000 mAH. People are loving the features of this smartphone. There are rumors that there will be a POCO phone as well. Let’s wait for more updates.
5. Iphone 13 Series
The most anticipated smartphone series is the iPhone. People keep a check on its newer versions. iPhone is launching its new series in the third week of September 2021. Since this is a global launch, so it will come to India as and when it gets launched. However, iPhone always releases its phones in a series and this is going to be having 4 smartphones iPhone 13, iPhone Pro, iPhone Mini, etc.
6. Moto Edge 20 Pro
There are rumors that MOTO EDGE 20 PRO will be coming in September. Globally, three smartphones have been already launched like Edge 20, Edge 20 Fusion, and Edge 20 Pro. The other two have already come to India and there are chances for Edge 20 Pro to come in the third or fourth week of September. It will have Snapdragon 870 processor with a 108 MP Triple Camera and 4000mAH battery.
7. IQ00 8 SERIES
IQ00 8 Series has been already launched in China and there are rumors that it will launch in India in September 2021. Additionally, talking about its features, it has a 2K display with a 120 Hz fast refresh rate and fast charging of 120W. Its camera features are mind-blowing and it having Snapdragon 888+ processor. Henceforth, once this smartphone comes into the Indian market, it will have a blast and people will love this owing to its fantastic features.
8. Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung is releasing its new smartphone Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. Additionally, it will arrive in Indian markets just as it will launch globally. Also, along with this smartphone, two other smartphones are also coming such as Samsung M52 and Samsung A52S. There are rumors about them, now let’s see whether the other two versions are coming or not. However, people are very excited about this smartphone.
9. VIVO X70 Series
In the month of September, Vivo is also launching its series in the second or third week of September. Talking about its features, it includes Dimensity 1200 processor, Zeiss Quad Camera, and 6.5″ 120Hz display. People are waiting for this smartphone to come into the Indian market owing to its brilliant features.
10. Realme 8i/8s
Realme 8s is surely coming in mid-September as also confirmed in AskMadhav Show. However, there is also some possibility that Realme 9 Series will be releasing too as they are on the list on BIS for about a month. Realme 9 series will have features such as a 90Hz AMOLED Screen display, a 50 MP Camera, and a 4500mAH charging the battery. People are curiously waiting for its launch.
So, these are the possible smartphones releasing in September. Apart from them, some other companies like Xiaomi, Oppo, and many others are also launching their new smartphones this month. Therefore, September is full of launch dates for different mobile phones. People are really excited about them. For which smartphone, you are waiting? Tell us in the comment section about the one you liked.


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The third MI6 Conference has officially started and chairman Peter Moore has reminded the attendees how crucial game marketers really are to the industry.
In his opening remarks for the third-annual MI6 conference in San Francisco, EA Sports president and MI6 Chairman Peter Moore said it was the "only conference for interactive entertainment marketers." Moore, a noted marketer himself, said that the audience of game marketers and brand managers "are core to our mission," further calling that group the "backbone to our industry."
These marketers have a mandate, however. "Marketers must continue to reach core gamers, of course, and extend into the mainstream," says Moore.


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While most people don’t think of poppers as a street food, Toronto’s new craze for these tasty treats is bringing the infamous snacks back to the streets. Despite the fact that poppers were illegal for more than 30 years, the sudden interest in the product from the government was something that the media failed to cover. While Toronto’s newfound popularity for poppers is great news for the people of this city, it should not be the only option for those who want to try them.
A Canadian company, Toronto poppers, has switched shipping services from Canada to the US. They also use USPS as a preferred shipping method and are working to speed up the process. Nevertheless, the company has been plagued by delays in their delivery. The delay is likely covid-related, but there are a few other ways to expedite delivery. Regardless, you should consider the benefits of this option if you are in Toronto.
Another option for people in Toronto is to order poppers online. You can even get them shipped to your home! It’s as easy as pie! So go ahead and buy your poopers! Just keep in mind that the delivery time may take a few days, so be patient. You’ll be able to have your poopers in no time at all. That is one less thing to worry about!
If you are looking for a new place to buy your poppers Toronto, consider ordering online. There are many options available online and the company is dedicated to making the process as convenient as possible. Just remember that Canada uses USPS for shipping, so be patient while waiting for your new poopers. If you don’t want to deal with a shipping delay, you can order poppers from any country. You can even use your credit card or PayPal account to purchase your poopers!
It’s illegal to consume poppers in Canada, but there are many vendors who sell them as alternatives. Despite the fact that these products can be dangerous to your health, these vendors aren’t trying to stop you from enjoying them. In Toronto, there are plenty of ways to purchase them legally. Whether you live in the city or in the province of Ontario, there are dozens of online sellers who offer the popular contraptions you can buy.
Although poppers aren’t allowed in Canada, you can purchase them online. The Toronto poppers are shipped from the US to Canada and to other countries in the same country. The shipping time for these products is estimated to be 17 days, but they usually arrive within five days. As of Thursday, 20 Aug 2020, User 147 said the delivery took 19:29. He was worried about the risk of covid related problems.
A recent controversy involving poppers in Canada has led to the emergence of a Conservative Party leader, Erin O’Toole, who has defended the use of these products as a “sex drug” in Toronto. The vapor from poppers creates a rush of passion, loosening the anal muscles, and is banned in Canada for two reasons. Besides, the Conservative Party is stepping in to make a statement on the matter.
The Toronto adult shop has been raided by Health Canada and several of the seized products are “poppers”. These products contain alkyl nitrites, which are substances that are used to make a variety of products, including room odourizers and leather cleaners. These can be very dangerous if accidentally taken, as people can accidentally overdose on these substances. Besides, the poppers are also sold in other adult shops that promote sexual enhancement. The drug is usually labeled with the names DHEA, pregnenolone, or yohimbine.
The Toronto adult shop was raided by Health Canada on Wednesday. It was selling a variety of unauthorized health products. The three seized “poppers” were made of alkyl nitrites, which can be found in liquid incense and room odourizers. These products are dangerous for recreational purposes and can cause accidental overdoses. In addition to popping, the Toronto adult shop also sold other types of nitrites that promote sexual enhancement.


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Sep 02, 2019
A MINI BIRTHDAY PARTY.
The International Mini Meeting took place in the English city of Bristol in August and was a great chance to showcase the last 60 years of MINI including the first classic Mini ever built.
International MINI Meeting events bring together people from all walks of life who share a love of creativity, fun, adventure and of course unique cars, powerful engines and innovative design. The International Mini Meeting (IMM) was launched in 1978 by German fans of the classic Mini. Since then, it has developed into the world’s biggest annual event for MINI enthusiasts. With vehicles on show, a spare-parts and accessories market, driving activities including car races and mini owner club competitions, bringing a festival atmosphere and confirming that the MINI community certainly know how to celebrate. And with 2019 being the anniversary year for the heritage brand – this year’s meeting gave them plenty of reason to.
No journey was too far for the fans with many travelling hundreds or even thousands of kilometres in their own vehicles. Car enthusiasts brought their new MINIs, classic Minis Morris, vintage Mini sports cars, and all variations of Mini Cooper, Clubman and Countryman to participate in events across the 5-day festival. The Mini Clubman celebrates its 50th anniversary this year too and all generation models were out in force to join the IMM party. With this year’s event also featuring the first classic Mini ever built, the MINI 60 Years Edition and the first all-electric MINI, there was quite the collection on show.
2019 is an occasion for MINI to look back while at the same time, use their 60 year milestone as a springboard into the new era. The MINI 60 Years Edition has been available for a few months now and once again this model highlights the long tradition of the brand alongside its British heritage. It complements the traditional roots of Mini while also bringing in the technology, modern design and the performance that MINI has today.
This year’s meeting also gave the MINI Community their first opportunity to get to know the latest model; the all-electric MINI Cooper SE 3-Door Hatch. Being the first all-electric model of the brand, this car gives drivers the 100% go-cart feeling with 0% emissions.
As 2019 continues, MINI continue to celebrate the last 60 years and we can’t wait to see what the next few years will bring to the MINI Brand.


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Idol 4 Stories July 19, 2016
Idol 4 Stories February 22, 2016
Idol 4 Stories February 20, 2016
At MWC last year, I think it’s fair to say Alcatel OneTouch surprised us all with its last Idol series phones. The Idol 3 lineup boasted specifications that pushed way past its price-point. The 1080p 5.5-inch model specifically was easily one of the best value-for-money phones available in 2015.
Fast forward to this year, and the company has done it again. With the Idol 4 and 4S, Alcatel (notice, no more OneTouch) is ensuring it remains competitive in 2016, giving the big-names a run for their money… expand full story
Idol 4 Stories February 10, 2016
Idol 4 Stories February 2, 2016


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The new and changed strategy of the Finnish telecom network equipment maker Nokia saw good growth in sales of network and 5G equipment which allowed the company to report better than expected revenues and profits for the first quarter.
With telecom operators starting to roll out 5G networks and with the Chinese telecom giant Huawei facing opposition from an increasing number of national governments because of concerns of threat to national security, more customers are being gained by Nokia and rival Swedish firm Ericsson.
“We expect our typical quarterly earnings seasonality to be less pronounced in 2021,” Chief Executive Pekka Lundmark said in a statement. There was also strong growth in sales in network infrastructure business of the company, Lundmark added.
Since assuming the role of company head last year, Lundmark has implemented a turnaround strategy of the company under which the operations of the company has been streamlined, jobs are being cut and changes are being made in the company to recover from product missteps as that had happened under the company’s previous management that was detrimental to the 5G business of the company and hurt its shares.
There was a 3 per cent growth in revenues for the q1uarter which came in at 5.08 billion euros ($6.16 billion) which comfortably beat a consensus figure of 4.72 billion according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
“Overall a surprisingly good start to the year,” said Mads Rosendal, an analyst at Danske Bank Credit Research. “The good result was driven by strong growth in network infrastructure as well as mobile networks and on a constant currency basis total group sales were up 9% y/y,” he said.
The was a very health 28 per cent growth in the sales of network infrastructure business, which includes optical and fixed network products, of Nokia at 1.73 billion euros which was driven by strong demand from the products from enterprise customers.
The profits for the quarter increase and came in at 5 euro cents per share while the adjusted profit came in at 7 euro cents per share compared to expectations of analysts at 1 euro cents.
The company also reported growth of 38.2 per cent in its comparable gross margin for the quarter compared to 36.4 per cent for the same quarter a year ago primarily because of demand in 5G business.
The full year net sales forecast was maintained by Nokia at between 20.6 billion euros to 21.8 billion euros which was mostly what the market was expecting.
Quarterly core earnings above market expectations were reported by Ericsson last week because of higher margins and greater rollout of 5G networks. .
(Adapted from EconomicTimes.com)


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If you’ve watched any Discovery Channel at all, you’re familiar with the “Serengeti takedown” at the end of a chase. The large cat has its jaws locked around the throat of the antelope as it thrashes wildly before the darkness closes in. HTC should be able to identify strongly with that image.
It’s been a pretty bad week for the Taiwanese company. They’re fresh from the news that their BFFs at Google just played them – and the rest of the suckers locked into Android as their shartphones OS – by purchasing Motorola for $12.5 billion. Apple has a shitload of patents hung on them and two of them have already been upheld by the ITC. But HTC is not done thrashing, as a thorough search of their sock drawers has yielded yet more patents to throw at Apple. If you want to burn your eyes out through the combined effects of patent language and appaling diction, the USPTO links at MacRumors will certainly accommodate you.
Thrash all you want, HTC. It’s not going to change the ending. It never does.


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The sign outside the Target store is seen in Arvada, Colorado January 10, 2014. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
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Earlier today, we did bring you word that Google has unveiled a new logo, revealing a cleaner as well as flatter design so that it will be able to look more uniform across the rest of the offerings. Scouring around various Google sites, the Google UK search page has already been updated with the new logo as well as sporting a brand new apps toolbox. The update does seem to be available only to a very limited number of users, and apparently, it also seems to be accessible on Apple’s OS X operating systems, but not so on Windows or Linux platforms. However, I am running on Windows Vista (yes, you can stifle your laughter) and managed to capture the screenshot that you see above from Google UK’s search page.
What do you think of the flatter design for the new Google logo? It does somewhat resemble Microsoft’s logo which was revealed last year, and the colors do seem to share their fair share of similarity to boot. Change for change’s sake is definitely not good, but to see Google introduce this particularly subtle change can be said to be an encouraging sign. After all, My Yahoo has also just revealed a new logo themselves.
Filed in Google.. Read more about


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The Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3 receive disappointingly small January update
Google markets Android One as being "secure, up-to-date and easy to use". While commenting on the first and third tenents of that strapline are beyond the scope of this article, the rollout of Android 10 the Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3 challenge the second. Slated to receive Android 10 this month, screenshots that have been published online show that the two Android One handsets have received an altogether different January update.
As Xiaomi India alluded to last week, the Mi A2 Lite and Mi A3 have been furnished with the January 2020 set of Android security patches. The two devices remain on Android 9.0 Pie for the time being, though. There appears to have been no movement on the "mid-February" timescale for the release of Android 10 to the Mi A3, either.
Meanwhile, there is no sign of Android 10 for the Mi A2 Lite. Xiaomi is yet to release the Android 10 kernel source for the device, or even a closed beta. Hence, all signs currently point towards Mi A2 Lite owners having to wait until at least after the Mi A3 receives its Android 10 update next month.
In short, while Android One offers a near-stock version of Android, it is still subject to the machinations and delays of OEMs. With Xiaomi now upgrading some of its mid-range handsets to Android 10 builds of MIUI 11, does the Android One program continue to offer "faster access to Android OS updates" as Google promised nearly two years ago?
Mi.com, @AryanKumar_1 & @JuaunVitu via Piunikaweb (1) (2)


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Colorful Lance Mountain x Nike SB Blazer Mid Is Inspired by His Skateboarding Passion
After a disco and rock infused take on the Nike SB Blazer Mid dropped solely for beloved skateboarder Lance Mountain‘s friends and family, the athlete is back for a public launch. This launch is inspired by Mountain’s relationship with the Nike SB from as far back as 1978.
“Pool skating is the street skating of vert. Instantly in the ‘70s, pools were mimicked in skate parks. And so the level of skateboarding grew from a backyard pool to a skate park pool, and then over the years they have refined and gotten bigger and bigger,” Mountain said in his piece with Nike News. “I skate pools. That’s where I skate. In the last 10 years, I’ve rarely skated other things.”
The kicks will be available via Nike retailers and its online store beginning August 17th.
Photograph via SneakerNews


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Research reveals increasing interest in opt-in retail SMS
Textlocal’s survey of 2,000 consumers in the UK reveals that SMS is a mobile user’s primary activity. The ‘Mobile Customer Experience’ report found SMS/text messaging above email, apps, social, gaming, music, web, and even voice calls in mobile usage priorities.
The total number of people opting in to retail messaging on mobile devices is expected to reach 7.18 million by the end of 2015, growth of 38%. While women are more likely to opt-in to retail messaging, men are more open to receiving regular messages than women.
“Consumers want to feel in control, not spammed in their personal space, so it’s up to retailers to make sure they truly understand how best to reach their followers with a view to turning them into regular shoppers,” said Darren Daws, managing director of Textlocal.
Textlocal’s research also involved businesses. It found that 40% use mobile as part of marketing strategy, even though 65% said they own an opted-in mobile database.
Rob Townsend, Textlocal’s marketing director, believes many businesses have yet to fully understand the opportunities mobile presents.
“Given the central role mobile plays in our lives, it’s likely consumers would expect brands to communicate with them via this medium – and our research bears this out,” Townsend told Mobile Marketing Magazine. :”If you’re already running a CRM programme via email and offline, why wouldn’t you add mobile to the mix?”


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Based on 4,967 votesRelease Date: June 2019Last Update On: October 2020
Enjoy an extensive mobile phone specs database with the official GSMArena.com App. Get all the latest tech news, rumors, and reviews, as well as catch up on our new video releases.GSMArena.com is o...